Apology
by Mighty ANT
Summary: Tybalt couldn't feel remorse for everything he'd done...could he? Oneshot


**Apology **

_Gnomeo and Juliet belongs to Rocket Pictures and Touchstone- I make no money off of this. _

_Reviews are love, while flames...not so much. _

_And yes, I do believe that under all of Tybalt's...Tybalt-ness, he's a bit of a softy ^_^_

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"I…I'm sorry."

Juliet faltered, turning away from the small mirror laid against the side of the newly rebuilt pedestal (filched from the house by Nanette), to face her once-smashed cousin. "What did you say?" she whispered in incredulity.

Tybalt huffed lightly, the sunlight playing across him accenting the many cracks along his body. He spread out his hands, cracked palms up, in an appeasing gesture. "I _said_, that I'm…sorry. For everything I did, I mean."

The former paused, before setting her hands on her hips, a delicate eyebrow raised speculatively. "Why the sudden change of heart, Tybalt?"She questioned suspiciously. Why Nanette had even let him pass was beyond her.

Tybalt raised his hands again, this time defensively, and in that instant, Juliet saw why so many other women in her garden had fawned over her cousin. Ample-bellied and strong, he would be able to protect any girl…if he ever took the time to look for a bride.

His fractured hands remained elevated, Tybalt's brow furrowed. "Hey, not _everything _I do has an ulterior motive!"

Juliet's eyebrow only went higher. "I beg to differ."

The portly gnome sighed. "_Please_, Juliet. I'm asking as nicely as I can."

The bride-to-be gave her cousin a long, appraised look, examining him from the boots up, until her gaze landed on his coal black eyes. Where she had usually seen malice, there was now remorse. Juliet moved her arms so that they were folded over her chest, expression still laced with skepticism. "Alright," she shrugged after a moment, noting with a decent amount of surprise how Tybalt's shoulders sagged in relief. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

Tybalt sighed, respite in his eyes. "Thanks, Julie."

Juliet frowned at the old nickname, a crease appearing in her brow. "_So_?" she prompted, as her larger cousin startled.

"Ah, right," the cracked gnome muttered, rubbing the back of his head for a moment, he put his pudgy hands together then. "Well, to put things simply, crashing headfirst into a brick wall put things in perspective for me."

"It would for most gnomes."

The hefty gnome sent his cousin a rather annoyed look at being interrupted again, but instead of uttering some irate comment in return, as he usually would have, Tybalt instead released a long, heavy sigh that seemed to take all of his anger with it. "Could ya' let me finish, Julie?" he questioned, although it was in good-humor. Juliet frowned again, but nodded. "Alright. So, as I was saying, the crash changed things for me. I saw…" Tybalt rubbed his elbow, a nervous tick that his cousin had gained from him. "Well…I saw everything I'd done to everyone over the years...how, well; stupid I was…and still am." The portly gnome ran a cracked hand over his equally scarred face. "I should've been thrown in with the rubbish years ago…"

Juliet stepped back, blinking. She never would've expected _Tybalt _of all gnomes to feel regret. He usually did what he liked, without fear of repercussion. But the consequences of his last blunder would always remain. As if hearing her thoughts, Tybalt had begun looking over one of his hands, running the pudgy index finger of his opposite hand over his fractured palm.

"I know that it's too much to ask for forgiveness, Julie," Tybalt muttered, having rather kept his eyes on his cracked hands, pausing a moment to finally meet his cousin's eyes, black to green. "But if you would give me another chance, I'll do everything in my power to redeem myself in this garden's eyes."

Juliet was at a loss for words. Never had Tybalt been so sincere with her…not since they were children. Her first thought was that it was some sort of trick, but the genuine repentance in his otherwise unemotional features told her differently. And then, she no longer saw Tybalt Redbrick, austere head of security for the Red Garden. All she saw was Tybalt—her elder cousin, lost and confused after everything he'd done. She sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. She turned to meet her anxious cousin in the eyes and smiled softly. "Alright, Tybalt. I'll give you a chance."

In the next instant, Juliet had been pulled into a bone-crushing hug, and held aloft for a few seconds, a good couple inches off the ground, before Tybalt quickly released her. He rubbed the back of his head as Juliet came to realize in shell-shocked silence that _Tybalt_ had _hugged_ her, and she was certain that if her cousin could blush, he'd be as red as his hat. "Erm, thanks, Julie," he muttered embarrassedly, beginning to turn away. Juliet regained her grip on reality then.

"W-wait, Tybalt!" she shouted, and he stopped. Juliet swallowed, rubbing her elbow, suddenly nervous. "Will you be at the wedding?"

He grinned. "Well, I'm not going to miss my favorite cousin's wedding day, am I?"

Juliet smiled as well, the natural order of things restored. She placed a fist on her hip in exasperation. "I'm your _only_ cousin!"

"All the more reason for me to be there!"


End file.
